UnSelfies from Europe (2024)

Prologue

 

As I grow older I have come to realize that travel and photos aren't just "been there, done that" stuff.   It is not merely about where we went and what we saw, but about what those sights and sounds did to us. It is about the serendipitous moments with some of the humanity whom we would never have run into. It is about discovering the common denominator among us and the joy of listening to their uncommon stories.

 

Instead of fire hosing friends with a flurry of pictures I have put together this photo journal by carefully picking  a handful of pictures and  very short videos. Comments below reveal what it felt like - some are frivolous and some a few inches deep.

Hope you will find this worth your time. 

First  a new word I coined:

UnSelfie

 

UnSlefies are the opposite of Selfies -  they are a little less about ourselves and bit more about the world around us.

 

Below picture is a perfect example of an UnSelfie I took in Vienna.

Our women are shopping inside!

So here we go! The UnSelfies from our recent trip..

 

10 Downing Street: "We are known to Sudha Murthy - your  Prime Minster's mother-in-law. You see, I am from the same village and speak the same dialect. Can you step aside please, we must  join him for lunch". My humble request was unfortunately rejected by the security guards. I still can't understand why they were not convinced about my bona fides.

 

 

Pilgrimage  to Lords cricket stadium. I have already written enough about this on social media but will say this again. A total stranger, one of the thousands who must have watched my cricket channel recognized me at the Sanctum sanctorium in the temple of cricket said, "You must be Jai Galagali. I love your channel and the work you are doing for the cricket fans". 

To say that my ego was gratified would be an understatement. I reflected on the irony of the  harrowing circumstances that had to happen in my life but for which the world would never have seen the treasure trove I had dug out from our cricketing history.

Sorry, this is not an UnSelfie!

British Library: At the British Library, visitors are not allowed to touch any books today. During the 1970s, my dear kaka, Dr. Srinivas Havanur, visited the British Library (when it was located in the British Museum). He spent weeks browsing through their vaults, discovering rare gems from Kannada literature, and rewriting its history. His passion and perseverance for a cause greater than himself have been an inspiration.

Proud civil engineer in front of the century old institution.

 

 

Prathibha's home London: "You have come to London so many times and not visited us?" Her demanding invite was good enough to include London in our itinerary. She is our Bangalore neighbor and our families are so close that even our mothers are best friends.  

Spent a joyous evening learning about her celebrity husband Dr Nagarajan (Gen) Muthialu's  heart transplants for children. He also devotes a good deal of time on his philanthropic work saving babies with heart alignments in India. Dr Pratibha (a pediatrician now) took pains to cook an elaborate yummy dinner despite her busy schedule.

We instantly clicked with Gen. I told Pratibha that although I have known her since she was kid  it seemed like meeting her for the first time; and we had just met Gen but felt like we have known him for years. And it was a pleasure getting to know their son Surya and his views about of their Primer Minister.

"My name is Jai too and I am from Gujarat" said the store manager of a popular bakery outlet. And when I told him my daughter in law is from Gujarat too, he packed a large complementary bag for us while on the go. "You folks remind me of my elders in my hometown",  he said refusing any payment.

Charles Bridge, Prague: Youth, oh youth! While anxiously waiting for our cartoon to be finished by the street artist we ran into these French kiddos who were on the threshold of youth brimming with Joie de vivre (thanks, Wodehouse).  There was  excitement and mutual admiration getting to know one another. We told them it was refreshing to merely watch them interact and they complemented us similarly (I think). I asked whether they thought we were a cool couple. They said, Oiu, oui!  I then requested them to record the same in a message for our son who too can speak French.

Salzburg: Mozart concert at Mirabell Palace: During intermission, when I was looking for a place to sit with an espresso, these  gentlemen invited me to join them at their table. "Ah, he is my brother" said the person in the middle. "I live in Vienna and he has come to see me from New Jersey after 30 years. Can you believe?".   The Vienna brother who did most of the talking said they originally were from Germany and he had just retired after a long and fulfilling career at United Nations. "Austria has everything - concerts, community, the best beer and doctors, what else do you need to be happy?'

He asked about me and my family. "It must be gorgeous living in California".  I said, yes, when you don't have a mortgage. They laughed heartily. I mentioned my wife was inside the hall and asked about their  wives. "Oh no, just the two of us. It's more fun this way, don't you think?" I was touched by their warmth and the manner in which the Austrian opened up. At  the concert they sat in the row next to ours. Like two backbench boys they would whisper at each other, nudge and giggle at some inside jokes.

Prague: Spanish synagogue. What you don't see are posters of those kidnapped from Israel that were displayed all over.  Despite the awe inspiring stunning interiors we left with a heavy heart thinking of those real people in the posters. 

Salzburg: An nondescript cobbled street that leads on to a steep hike of over 1000 feet. 

Salzburg -  Mozart's birthplace

Mozart: "My lady, don't leave yet. You are inspiring me for my next symphony, wait till I finish". 

But with too many things on her plate the lady had to leave much to the disappointment of dear Wolfang anna.

The very gazebo of "Sixteen going on seventeen"

Von Trapp family's lakeside home

 

 

These video shorts would make you smile

Remember Sound of Music? When we booked tickets for the 4 hour tour that would take us to the locales where the movie was filmed, I wasn't sure if it was going to be worth. After all, what was the point touring the world of Von Trap, his seven children, their governess and their songs?   

How wrong I was! 

For those hours while immersed with the sights and sound of music,  I felt liberated  not only from the pressures Silicon valley clamps  on its people but also from anxiety, skepticism, resentment, loneliness, worry and the entire gamut of negative forces my mind was intertwined.

Our hearts buoyed as the bus traversed along the Austrian landscape and played Do-Ri-Me to the delight of the sixty of us from across the world.  Although  I didn't know the words I could hum the tune in sync with the rest as we all sang along. The muddiness in our minds had melted and we became children again.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We loved Salzburg the most. The uncrowded cobbled streets, the cafes with character, the chocolate shops where they let you sample generously, the river and the  miles and miles of walking track alongside, and most importantly their warm  people makes one want to go there once again and again.

The men in costume  aren't  Mozart's bloodline. They are immigrants from middle east employed by Vienna State Opera and they sell tickets for a living.

Rick Steeves my travel sadguru is right. While touring Europe stay in his recommended downtown boutique hotels where the front office takes pride in their work. They make us feel like their family.

Vienna: St Peter's Church  "Without belief in God such masterpieces would never have been possible" (quote from an atheist friend of mine)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Take a bow Vienna!

 

 

Happy Friends!

At the restaurant across the street from Vienna State Opera. They were singing their hearts out and concluded their jam session with Bela Cao.  "Are you a professional band?" I went up to them and asked. "No sir, We are just a bunch of happy singers and he is our teacher. We are immigrants from Philippines who have made Vienna our home. We work all day hard and come here to unwind". 

"Ah, This is what we sorely lack," one can hear the lament of U.S. surgeon general, Dr. Vivek Murthy  on American's loneliness epidemic.

 

 

 

"Blessed" about sums it up.

 

 

Epilogue:

 

On the last day of our tour, we learned about the untimely death of dear Paresh bhai, my sambandhi-brother  -my daughter (in law) Angeli's mama. He was a gentle soul to whom Angeli and her brother Asish meant the world. 

 

He led a contented life, spreading love and light with every soul he connected with. Though he might not have worn a Rolex watch and driven a Lamborghini, he possessed something that many Silicon Valley billionaires do not—a large and loving community he had nurtured.